Trump blames Iran for attack on Indian ships, calls it ‘unacceptable’

Washington, June 12: US President Donald Trump on Friday accused Iran of launching a failed drone attack on Indian ships departing the Strait of Hormuz, calling the alleged action “totally unacceptable” amid ongoing tensions in the Gulf region and fragile peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Iran had carried out a “totally rebuffed drone attack” against Indian vessels leaving the strategic waterway.
However, he did not identify the ships involved, and Iranian authorities had not responded to the allegation at the time of writing.
Trump’s remarks came against the backdrop of a series of attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members. On June 8, US forces disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker Marivex, which had 24 Indian sailors on board.
All crew members were rescued safely. Two days later, another Palau-flagged tanker, Settebello, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was struck in a US attack, killing three Indian crew members.
A third vessel, Jalveer, sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag with 20 Indians aboard, also came under attack off the coast of Oman on Thursday.
The incidents prompted India to summon US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time this week.
New Delhi described the attacks on commercial shipping as “deeply worrisome” and strongly raised its concerns with Washington.
The Directorate General of Shipping also issued a fresh security advisory to nearly 18,000 Indian seafarers operating in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and adjoining waters, urging heightened vigilance.
Trump’s comments also touched on the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations.
He accused Tehran of leaking inaccurate details of a proposed agreement, saying the terms published by Iranian media “have nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing.”
He further alleged that Iran was not negotiating in good faith.
Iranian outlets, including Mehr News Agency and Fars News Agency, recently reported details of a proposed 14-point peace framework aimed at ending the three-month conflict.
While the draft reportedly includes sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets, Iranian officials maintain that negotiations are still underway and no final agreement has been approved.
Despite Trump’s optimism, Tehran insists that discussions remain ongoing. (Agencies)